First dole payment served up here - a pound! (8)
I believe the answer is:
original
'first' is the definition.
(similar in meaning)
'here a pound' is the wordplay.
'here' becomes 'origin' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'pound' becomes 'L' (the pound sign is based on an L).
'origin'+'a'+'l'='ORIGINAL'
'dole payment served up' acts as a link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for original that I've seen before include "Prototype" , "Archetype, master copy" , "Not derived or copied form something else" , "New in character or design - not a copy" , "derivation" .)